Andrews-Curtis groups (Q6899982)

For any group \(G\) and integer \(k \geq 2\), the Andrews-Curtis transformations generate a permutation group \(\mathrm{AC}_k(G)\) acting on \(N_k(G) \subset G^k\), the set of \(k\)-tuples generating \(G\) as normal subgroup (see [\textit{J. J. Andrews} and \textit{M. L. Curtis}, Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 16, 192--195 (1965; Zbl 0131.38301)]). The Andrews-Curtis conjecture states that if \(G\) is free of rank \(k\), then \(\mathrm{AC}_k(G)\) acts transitively on \(N_k(G)\). The full Andrews-Curtis group \(\mathrm{FAC}_k(G)\) acts on the entire set \(G^k\) and the natural restriction gives an epimorphism \(\lambda: \mathrm{FAC}_k(G) \to \mathrm{AC}_k(G)\).\N\NTheorem 2.1 shows that if \(G\) is torsion-free non-elementary hyperbolic, then \(\mathrm{FAC}_k(G)\) acts faithfully on every non-trivial orbit of \(G^k\), hence \(\lambda\) is an isomorphism. Theorem 3.3 establishes that if all \(m\)-tuples in such a group \(G\) satisfy an equation \(E(x_1, \ldots, x_m)\), then \(E = 1\) in \(G \ast X\).